Dental floss holder



- May 22, 1923, 1,456,279

A. L. PATTERSON.

DENTAL FLOSS HOLDER Fi1e d Dec. 16. 1922 Fig.1

INVENTOR WITNESSES f V I ,M@@fl I BY; 1:, II

fLL P'ccttensofi Patented May 22, 1923.

ARTHUR LOW PATTERSON, OF ALBEMARLE, ,NORTH CAROLINA.

DENTAL FLOSS HOLIDEB.

A Application filed December 16, 1922. Serial'llo. 607,363.

To aZZwkom it may concern: 7

Be It known that I, ARTHUR L. PATTER- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing held in a taut condition, and adapted to be passed between the teeth without interference to supplant themore or less injurious wooden tooth pick. v

A further object is toprovide a simple, compact and cheaply manufactured device for holding a spool of such thread or floss, the said spool being entirely encased by a coacting receptacle and cover therefor, to maintain the floss in sanitary condition, the casing and cover having means for preventing excessive unwinding of the floss.

Another object is to provide a casing for this purpose which has means carried thereby forstretching the activeportion of the strand, and means for effectively and quickly fastening the ends of such portion, said means being in the form of spring cleats or clamps about which the strand may be easily wound and-as readily unwound, to be enconveniently to sever the used portion of the strand, the entire device being'small and light to be carried in the pocket while pro= tecting .the'spool of floss.

A. full and complete understanding of the invention may be obtained. from a consideration of the followlng detailed description,"

taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing forming apart of this specification; it being understood that while the drawing shows a practical form of'the invention, the latter is not to be confined, to .strict conformity with the showing thereof, but may be changed or modified, so long as such changes, or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention, as specifically pointed out in the apf pended claims.

gaged with a handy cutting device arranged edge of the outer extension In the drawing, in which'similar'reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the severalfigures Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved dental floss holder shownv ready for use; v

Figure 2 is a top plan view of thesame;

- Figure 3 is a rear elevation, partly broken Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 4- lof Figure 3 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrow;

Figure 5is a detail elevation, partly in section, illustrating the manner of fastening the ends of the strand of floss;

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 6-60f Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 7-7of Figure 1. I The cylindrical box drum or casing for holding the spool of floss comprises a circular base or'back 1 of circular form and composed of some suitable, thin sheet metal having a peripheral, outstanding flange or rim 2, formed integrally therewith. To theouter or back side of the base 1 is secured the circular body portion 3 of a floss-supporting arm 4 formed integrally therewith of similar sheet metal, the body portion being of. substantiallythe same diameter as the base of the drum and secured rigidly thereto by means of one or more rivets Y Adjacent to the periphery of the drum, the body portion 3 is provided with an outstanding extension 6, whose outer face is tangential tothe periphery of the drum and is perpendicular to the normally upper edge of the arm 4:, which latter extends outwardly and radially to the center of the drum, the outer end of the latter having an outstanding extension 7, the terminal of which is in horizontal' alinement with the endof the firstnamed extension 6. A reinforcing rib or flange '8, beginning at the extension 6, ex tends entirely around the body portion 3, the lower side of the arm 4 and the outer 7 as clearly shown in Figure 1 of the drawing, said rein.-. forcement being formed by returning the sheet metal back upon itself to strengthen the plate and, prevent buckling the same;

In addition to the rivet 5,the base or back 1 and. the body portion 3 of the attached plate, are further held together by. a centrally arranged post or pivot 9, which may be soldered or otherwise secured to both members, the length of the post being somewhat less than the depth of the peripheral flange 2, and upon this post 9 is adapted to be placed a spool 10, having a length of dental floss 11 or other fibrous material or strand wound thereon, the said spool preferably having a tubular bushing 12 mounted therein, the outer ends of the latter being formed into flanges to prevent its removal from the spool, as clearly shown in Figure 4 of the drawing.

A circular cover 13 formed of similar sheet metal and having a peripheral flange 1 1 of a diameter to slip over the receptacle or holder flange 2 is adapted to be frictionally held thereon, the center of the circular cover 13 carrying a pin 15 which enters the outer end of the bushing 12 and serves, in

conjunction with the post 9, to act as a pivot for the spool of floss.

The inner flange 2 is provided with an aperture 16 adiacent to the extension 6, and thefiange 14: of. the cover is likewise provided with an aperture 17, and the free end of the floss 11 is adapted to be passed through these apertures whenthe same are alined by turning the cover on the receptacle, after which said cover may be turned suiliciently to cause a small portion of the length of floss toilie between the two flanges 2 and 1e respectively, which serves to hold the floss wound upon the drum in taut condition, the frictional engagement of the bushing 12 on the alined pins 9 and 15 being sufficient to maintain such taut condition of the floss.

The extensions 6 and 7 are provided on theirfaces opposite to the drum and cover, with oppositely disposed cleats or clamps 18, formed by providing extended portions on the opposed edges thereof and bending the same backwardly in oppositeldirections, to lie in spaced relation to the adjacent faces of the said extensions, as clearly shown in Figure 6,'the upper and lower ends of said clamps being rounded and flared outwardly to provide tongues 19 which project beyond the joining portions 20.

The extension 6 and the cleat or clamp 18 formed thereon, are each provided with an aperture 21, in alinement with each other, and the end portion of the strandll of floss where leading from the aperture 17 is passed throu h said alined apertures. 21 and is brought around the lower tongue 19, thence upwardly to be clamped by the cleat 18, and thence across the space to the opposite or outer cleat18, where the strand 11 is again given a turn around the joining portion 20 of said cleat, as clearly shown in Figure 5, when the end of the said: strand is forced beneath a spring tongue 22 locatedbeneath the said cleat or clamp 18, and formed by an inward extension of the reinforcing bead 8 at that point.

VVith' the dental floss or other material stretched across the space between the extension in the above manner, it will be readily seen that the same maybe easily introduced between the teeth and caused to remove any accumulations therein, the space between the extensions 6 and 7 being ample to permit of a sawing action of the device to draw the strand through the spacebetween the teeth, and the-depth of the space between said extensions being ample to accommodate any tooth. I

After using the device in the above manner, the strand 11 may be detached from the spring tongue 22 in an obvious manner and the same unwound andreleased from the outer cleat 18, as well as theinner cleat 18, without withdrawing said strand from the alined apertures 21, the used portion being drawn downwardlv, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1 at 23, and passed beneath an outstanding tongue 24L formed of the metal of the plate, and having its lower edge 25 bev;

elled to provide a cutting edge by means of which the strand may be severed.

a rne cylindrical box or drum together w th the attached floss-supporting arm 4 may be readily grasped by one hand while the cover '13 is turned by, the other hand to bring the apertures 16 and 17 into alinement when it is desired to feed out a new length of the floss to be attached to the cleats 18, as described, and the said cover may then be-rea'd;

ily turned, as illustrated, to bind the floss between the flanges 2 and 14.

-From the foregoing it will be seen that a simple, cheaply manufactured and easily operated dental implement has been provided having a receptacle for carrying a spool of dental flossfor keeping the same in clean, sanitary condition, and permitting the same to be fed from the casing as needed and threaded and held to provide a stretched portion of the strand" in position for use and having means for severing the same when used. Preferably the receptacle, the cover therefor and the spool may correspond with the ordinary devices on the; market I with such changes therein asare necessary to apply my improvement thereto.

What is claimedisz h p 1. A dental appliance comprising a receptacle for a spool of dental fioss acover for the same, said cover. and receptacleiiir tel-fitting and provided with openings adapted to aline by' turning'the coverand receptacle relatively, and means secured to one of said parts and projecting-therefrom, and constituting a handle by means of which the said parts may be turned, said means havlng spaced cleats to engage the end of the floss leading from the receptacle.

2. A dental appliance comprising a receptacle for containing a spool of dental floss, a removable cover for the receptacle, the receptacle and cover having interfitting flanges, each flange being provided with an opening for the passage of the dental floss from the spool, and means rigidly secured to the receptacle and adapted to be used in turning the receptacle with reference to the cover, said means having devices for engaging the end or" the floss extending from the receptacle, and said means constituting a handle by which the cover may be moved with respect to the receptacle, so as to bring said openings into or out of alinement with each other.

3. A dental appliance comprising a receptacle for containing a spool of dental floss, a removable cover forthe receptacle, co-acting means embodied in the receptacle and cover for tensioning the floss as it is unwound from the spool, a body portion rigidly secured to the receptacle and having spaced extensions formed thereon, a cleat carried at the terminal of each extension and adapted to clamp the floss from the spool across the space between the extensions and hold the same taut.

4. A dental appliance comprising a receptacle for containing a spool of dental floss, a removable cover for the receptacle, co-acting means embodied in the receptacle and cover for tensioning the floss as it is unwound from the spool, a body portion rigidly secured to the receptacle and having spaced extensions formed thereon, a cleat carried at the terminal of each extension and adapted to clamp the floss from the spool across the space between the extensions and hold the same taut, said cleats being formed by bending back a tongue formed at the opposed edges of the extensions and flaring outwardly the ends of the tongue.

5. A dental appliance comprising a receptacle for containing a spool of dental floss, a removable cover for the receptacle, co-acting means embodied in the receptacle and cover for tensioning the floss as it is unwound from the spool, a body portion rigidly secured to the receptacle and having spaced extensions formed thereon, a cleat carried at the terminal of each extension and adapted to clamp the floss from the spool across the space between the extensions and hold the same taut, and an outwardly projecting spring clamp formed in the body portion adjacent to the outer cleat and adapted to hold the free terminal of the strand of floss.

6. A dental appliance comprising a receptacle for containing a spool of dental floss, a removable cover for the receptacle, co-acting means embodied in the receptacle and cover for tensioning the floss as it is unwound from the spool, a body portion rigidly secured to the receptacle and having spaced extensions formed thereon, a cleat carried at the terminal of each extension and adapted to clamp the floss from the spool across the space between the extensions and hold the same taut, and an outwardly projecting, its lower edge bevelled below the inner cleat to constitute a cutter for severing the used portion of the dental floss.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature.

ARTHUR LOW PATTERSON.

pointed tongue having- 

